Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-09-16
WoMAN,s fAvoelTE Triple.
How the Delicious Ice Cream Soda Has
Superseded Pink Lemonade.

How the Delicious Ice Cream Soda Has
Superseded Pink Lemonade.
strawberry and vanilla mixed, please,
and don't make it too sweet
There is the succulent sound of a
syrupy pour, q gentle fizz and gurgling
gush, delicate splash, as a lump of ice
cream finds its way from a big metal
scoop in the depths of the crystal glass,
top off fizz, and the fair "guzzler" of
Gotham is served with her ice cream
soda.
Other people drink ice cream soda else
where, but not as they drink it here in
New York-which is by the hour, by
the minute, by the gallon, by the liquid
ton. From early morn till dewy eve the
stream of femininity and the stream of
soda pass, ceaselessly, behind the window
shades of the confectioner's, where the
delicacy is supposed to be served in its
fizziest and most fascinating form. At a
big desk, near the door, and beneath a
dangling placard, which bears the follow
ing instructive legend: "Buy your soda
water checks here, " sits placid and cold
young woman, warbling a monotonous
refrain. Zone or two?" "Plain or
cream?' and dealing forth small solferino
waterproof tickets, which are eagerly
pounced upon by the thirsting swarm and
hurried away to the marble bar presided
over by the rapid, elusive soda water
clerk.
These clerks are usually girls, and they
manipulate the icecream soda with
pleasing dexterity born of long and assid-
uous cultivation. They fit noiselessly
among the array of bottles, deity distin-
gushing Vichy from Apollinaris by the
sense of ''feel, " extract the juice from
the slippery and deceptive lemon in the
twinkling of an eye, never confuse choc-
olate with cranberry, nor insult the pal
ate which craveth pineapple by the offer
of sarsaparila.
They mix and scoop and stir and serve
the pushing, scrambling, insistent mass
before them silently, swiftly, neatly and
with an air of liberation which gives a
qualified pleasure to the recipient. The
writer followed one Of these nymphs of
the soda water fount to a quiet corner,
whittier she had repaired to quench her
thirst with a glass of clear cold water,
and when asked why she did not take an
icecream soda she responded briefly with
an amiable "Ugh!' expressive of nausea.
which supplied all conversational def
ciencies. Later, moved to further conf
dence, she placed one round iersey-clad
elbow on the counter, mussed up her bang
with one plump hand and proceeded to
discourse, glad of brief respite from
the eternal mixing process.
Il don't see how they can drink it,!
But then they don't live in it as do"
Been living in it long?" she was
asked.
" Bout four years now" with a giggle
which ended in a groan.
"Oh, yes, but YOU don't serve ice
cream soda all the year around, you
know
Don't we? Well I should remark
that we did. Why, the rush begins here
before the first of May and it keeps up
harder'n harder all through June, July
and August. In August the people tear
in here and drink two or three sodas
right down, one after'n other. They thin
off through the fall till winter, and then,
though we do an irregular business on
the icecream. we sell the soda hot with
bouillon, coffee and chocolate Seems s
if people have got to drink something in
New York all the time"
"What is the favorite extract?" asked
the writer. Not that it matters a fin
whether Gotham soda water fiends pre-
fer ginger beer to the nectar of the gods.
but because of the hope of some amuse-
ing commentary from behind the bar.
"Oh, my! l couldn't tell you that,
but, with confidential lowering of the
voice, you mightn't believe it, but do
you know I've got so l can tell 'em all
apart-just what extracts they'll take. |
mean and can set them up-excuse
me, you know what / mean-almost
before they open their mouths. You
see, it's this way. The school girls all
want strawberry and vanilla mixed, and
the dark ones want coffee or chocolate,
and the blondes they take pineapple OF
lemon, and the old ladies call for sar-
s'p'rilla, cause its cooling to the blood,
and the girls who come in with fellows
want Just vanilla, plain kind of limo.
cent and simple-and the young widows
always ask for Vichy, with "a touch OF
lemon. That's where they're smart
They can drink Vichy standing VI
straight and looking over the top of the
glass. They don't have to hang over il
and snap for the ice cream, when il
comes up, with one of these long spoons
Then Vichy don't get up your nose and
make it red, and make your eyes water
You'll have to excuse me now-Ill gel
bounced for lettering. See this girl com
ing in? She's raspberry" And with
cheerful grin this small, slangy, soda
water philosopher skipped back to hel
position at the other end of the counter
New York World.